The Next Bounty
by Super Nova2
Summary: REVISED EDITION Takes place after Session 26. Is Spike really alive after all? Will Faye help Jet find him? Slight FS. Please rr!
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own Cowboy Bebop  
  
I know, a serious fic from me; disappointing isn't it? Oh well, even if it is serious, I don't think this is too bad of a fic. Maybe I'm wrong though. Tell me what you think of it, and I don't horribly mind flames, they build character! ^_^ (But of course, I do always love compliments!!!!)  
  
  
  
Faye walked down the street, head hung low. She kicked at an empty beer can. Why did this have to happen to her? Why did everything bad happen to her? She leaned against a dirty brick building and shakily lit a cigarette, angrily throwing the match to the ground. Why did she ever tell Spike that she saw Julia? Because she was stupid, that was why. Now she'd never see him again.  
  
Faye fought back tears of spite for herself as she walked into a dirty- looking bar. She sat on one of the torn vinyl barstools and put her head in her hands.  
  
"What's the matter, Little Lady?"  
  
Faye looked up to find a sleazy-looking bartender looking her up and down. She didn't answer him.  
  
"Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" he asked suggestively.  
  
"Just get me something to drink," she said acidly.  
  
"Sure. What would you like?" the bartender asked, trying to mask his disappointment that she had rejected his implied offer.  
  
"Whatever you have," Faye said grinding her cigarette butt into an ashtray and taking a fresh one out of the pack.  
  
"Faye," said a voice from behind her. Slowly Faye turned to find Jet.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked him.  
  
"I came to find you," Jet said in his gravelly voice.  
  
"What do you want with me?"  
  
"I need to talk to you."  
  
"What could you possibly want to talk to me about? You've always hated me," Faye said, slowly turning back toward the bar.  
  
"I need to talk to you about Spike."  
  
"What about him?" Faye asked bitterly.  
  
"He's alive."  
  
Faye's eyes widened and she dropped her cigarette onto the bar. She quickly picked up the cigarette and snubbed into the ash tray, trying to act nonplused. Slowly she turned to face Jet again.  
  
"What do you mean he's alive?"  
  
Jet paused. "He didn't die that day with Vicious."  
  
"Why should I believe you?"  
  
"Why shouldn't you believe me?"  
  
"You just want me to get back to helping you find bounties. Spike died and you were out one partner. Now I'm gone, and you're out two."  
  
Jet laughed. "You were never a partner. And you were never any help, all you did was cause trouble."  
  
"I'm not listening to this," Faye muttered, rising and walking toward the door.  
  
Jet reached out and grasped her arm with a firm grip. "I'm not lying about Spike. I want you to help me find him."  
  
"How do you know he's alive?"  
  
"I heard it from Ed."  
  
Faye shook her head, smiling. "And you expect me to believe that you're still in contact with Ed, too?"  
  
"She hacked into the ship's computer again. She says life with her dad's tough. She wants to come back to the Bebop. She's willing to help me find Spike."  
  
Faye laughed. "Sounds like you're trying to reunite the old crew."  
  
"I need to find Spike. He's alive somewhere, and I need his help finding a difficult bounty."  
  
"How do you know he's even interested in being a bounty hunter anymore? Maybe nearly getting killed has made him want a quieter lifestyle," Faye said. Even she knew that was she said wouldn't be true. Spike had nearly gotten himself killed many times, and that had never discouraged him from danger.  
  
Faye took a long, deliberating drag on her cigarette. She looked up at Jet, trying to decide whether or not to believe him; trying to decide whether or not to go with him.  
  
To be continued. . . (maybe)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Is Spike really alive? Will Faye help Jet? Will Ed come back? What about Vicious, is he still alive too?  
  
Well, okay, that's the first chapter. What do you think? Should I continue or not? 


	2. Back to the Bebop

Chapter Two  
  
Faye glared at Jet before finally saying, "I'll do it." Faye knew she wasn't doing it to help Jet. She had her own reasons for wanting to find Spike.  
  
Jet nodded. "Follow me," They flew to the Bebop.  
  
"Just like old times," Faye said with a hint of cynicism, casting a glance around the ship. She may have been trying to sound cynical but she couldn't deny the memories and good feelings that the Bebop brought back. She wished it could be like old times again. When Faye lived on the Bebop, she had always seemed like she disliked it. She seemed to especially dislike her roommates, but anything was better than her life now, and she wished that things could go back to being how they used to be.  
  
She would give anything to go back to living on the Bebop with Jet, Spike, Ed, and even Ein. Especially after the way she had been living lately. Faye had been aimlessly wandering around from bar to bar looking for something to do before Jet showed up. Now, being on the Bebop again, she began to feel an odd feeling of comfort, as if she was right where she belonged.  
  
Faye shook her head, trying to shake the strange sentimental thoughts out of her mind. She lit another cigarette and began to play Solitaire. Faye had never gotten over her love for playing cards, though it was much more fun when you were playing a card game with someone else. In a Casino.  
  
Faye lazily looked up as Jet came into the room. "Ed's bringing the ship down so she can board."  
  
"I hope she doesn't bring that horrible dog with her," Faye said. Jet may have grown somewhat attached to Ein, but she hadn't.  
  
"I don't know," Jet said.  
  
"So where do you think Spike is, anyway?"  
  
"I don't know," Jet said again.  
  
"Do you have any idea of where to start looking?"  
  
"No."  
  
"So, you're just going to wander through space aimlessly, looking for a guy who might not even be alive?"  
  
"Pretty much."  
  
Faye rolled her eyes and took a long drag on her cigarette. It was going to be an interesting few weeks.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Oh, I'm sorry this is so short! I really am! I just didn't know how to get to the next part without ending the chapter. Again, I'm sorry. 


	3. Someone Else Wants Spike

Chapter Three  
  
Jet went outside to get Ed. Faye remained on the ship. She went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, finding it completely empty. Just like old times. She sauntered back to the main room of the Bebop and returned to her spot on the couch. She looked up, slightly startled, when she heard the door swing noisily open.  
  
"Faye-Faye!" yelled Ed, running to Faye and jumping on her. Ein came bouncing in right after Ed.  
  
"Get off!" shouted Faye, trying to shove the wiry child and the stocky dog off of her.  
  
As Faye fought off Ed, Jet walked into the room, arms laden with computer equipment. He dropped the stuff to the floor a bit more roughly than he should have. Luckily it still worked when Ed set it up.  
  
"So do we have any idea where Spike is? Any idea at all?" Faye asked.  
  
"Not really. I have a couple ideas, but really they're just guesses," Jet said.  
  
"Ed, how do you know Spike is really alive?" Faye asked.  
  
Ed, who was busy typing very rapidly with her feet, didn't answer. After a few more moments of typing, Ed said, "Here."  
  
Jet and Faye peered at the computer screen.  
  
Ed had pulled up a profile page for Spike, complete with picture. The picture had a date under it, which indicated that the picture had definitely been taken after Vicious had "killed" Spike.  
  
"Where did you find this?" Faye asked.  
  
"Edward is very good with computers, Faye-Faye."  
  
"But where did this come from? From the looks of this page, I would say that someone is trying to find Spike. Someone other than us," Faye said squinting at the screen, which said:  
  
NAME: SPIKE SPIEGEL  
  
SEX: MALE  
  
PLACE OF BIRTH: UNKNOWN  
  
AGE: EXACT AGE UNKNOWN, APPROXIMATELY LATE TWENTIES  
  
HAIR COLOR: DARK GREEN  
  
EYE COLOR: BROWN  
  
WHEREABOUTS: UNKNOWN  
  
LAST SEEN: MARS, EXACT LOCATION UNDETERMINED  
  
IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THE MAN SHOWN ABOVE, PLEASE CONTACT MAXHENRI. ANY INFORMANTS WILL RECEIVE A HEFTY REWARD.  
  
Next to the text was the picture of Spike. It was distant and out of focus, but it was undoubtedly Spike.  
  
"They don't seem to know too much about him, do they?" Faye asked. Perhaps she could just give them a little harmless information, like where he was from, or his age. She was sure that she would be entitled to at least a few thousand Woolongs. No, she wouldn't sell out. But the idea of that reward *was* pretty appealing.  
  
"Maxhenri," Jet said in a low whisper, interrupting Faye's thoughts.  
  
"What is it?" Faye asked. "Do you know him?"  
  
"Not personally. But I know *of* him. Everyone I used to work with knew of him."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"He's very infamous with the ISSP. He's committed just about every crime you can think of. He's got a very sick mind, a big fan of torture."  
  
"What would he want with Spike?" Faye asked.  
  
Jet sighed. "He used to work alone, never much liked the company of anyone else, but people have been talking lately."  
  
"Talking about what?"  
  
"Rumors say that he's recently been connected with the Red Dragon crime syndicate.  
  
Faye's eyes widened. "The Red Dragon's after Spike?" she whispered, though she already knew the answer.  
  
"That's the way it looks," Jet said.  
  
"If we want to find Spike before this guy does we'd better start looking now," Faye said.  
  
Jet nodded in agreement. "There's no telling what this guy could do to Spike if he gets to him. He's considered by many to be criminally insane."  
  
Faye felt a heavy, sick feeling at the pit of her stomach. She had grown somewhat fond of Spike over the time that they had spent together. Though she wouldn't quite consider him a friend, she had to admit that she had grown to enjoy his teasing and sarcasm. She knew she had to find him before Maxhenri. 


End file.
